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U.S. Reps Sponsor Bipartisan Wi-Fi Innovation Act

The bill’s primary sponsor, Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio), says the Wi-Fi Innovation Act would direct the FCC to conduct tests within the 5 GHz spectrum band to determine if spectrum can be shared without interfering with current users.

U.S. Reps. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Communications and Technology Subcommittee Ranking Member Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Doris Matsui (D-CA) are co-sponsoring a Wi-Fi innovation bill introduced this week in the House.

 
The bill’s primary sponsor, Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio), says the Wi-Fi Innovation Act (H.R. 5125 ) would direct the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to conduct tests within the 5 GHz spectrum band to determine if spectrum can be shared without interfering with current users.
 
According to a statement from the Congressman, “the bill also acknowledges ongoing efforts related to the development of critical safety applications in vehicles and other intelligent transportation initiatives and creates a study to examine the barriers to Wi-Fi deployment in low-income areas.”
 
The Information Technology Industry Council and other lobbying groups have already weighed in.
 
“Spectrum is an extremely valuable, but limited resource. We must make certain we are using this resource as efficiently as possible and sharing spectrum where it makes sense to do so.  This legislation will codify an analysis driven approach to making greater use of the 5 GHz band, while ensuring safety features like new technologies in connected vehicles that also use that spectrum are preserved,” Vince Jesaitis, ITI vice president of government affairs, wrote in a blog post Wednesday.
 
The text for H.R. 5125 hadn’t yet been posted online at Congress.gov as of Thursday morning.
 
This isn’t the first time Latta, Issa, Eshoo and Matsui have worked together. Last year they authored a letter to the FCC urging the commission to free up additional spectrum in the 5 GHz band for use by unlicensed wireless devices.
 
This story was originally published by TechWire